Denise Richards Reveals Why She Refused Paul Verhoeven’s NSFW Scene in ‘Starship Troopers’

‘Starship Troopers’ released in 1997, directed by Paul Verhoeven, is a sci-fi film set in a future where Earth is at war with giant alien insects. The movie is known for its satirical take on military propaganda, fascism, and nationalism, using over-the-top violence and nudity to highlight these themes.

Despite mixed reviews at first, the film has since gained a cult following and is considered an influential commentary on war and society.

The cast of ‘Starship Troopers’ includes Casper Van Dien as Johnny Rico, a former sports star turned soldier, and Dina Meyer as Dizzy Flores, his fellow infantryman. Other key roles are played by Denise Richards as Carmen, Jake Busey as Ace Levy, Neil Patrick Harris as Carl Jenkins, and Clancy Brown as Sergeant Zim, along with Michael Ironside as Jean Rasczak, a former teacher turned squad leader.

As was mentioned in the above paragraph Denise Richards played Carmen an aspiring starship pilot and Rico’s girlfriend. Despite the movie’s promotion of gender equality Richards was asked to do a NSWF scene that the actress promptly refused. Her character starts dating Johnny Rico, but they grow apart when he becomes a soldier and she joins the space force.

The film, known for its violence and nudity, includes a co-ed shower scene to show soldier camaraderie. In a 2018 interview, Richards shared that director Paul Verhoeven had written a topless scene for her, but she refused as it felt unnecessary.

Paul added a topless scene that wasn’t in the original script but I refused to do it – I didn’t see the point of it.

Apparently, the director wasn’t too stuck on that scene and it doesn’t seem like Richards was overly insulted by the proposal or continued to hold it against Verhoeven. She also commented on how much she appreciates the character. She feels fans appreciate her as a strong woman and believes that the character’s romantic relationships aren’t a big issue, as everyone experiences breakups and love at a young age, overall, she sees Carmen as a badass and a great role model.

I love my character, and the fans seem to appreciate she’s a strong woman. If there were negative audience reactions to her swapping between two men, I didn’t hear about it. At some point or other, everyone gets dumped and does the dumping – that’s young love! But for the most part I think she’s a badass, a great role model.

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